New Airsofter - gun question

[chrisbirley]

Hi all

i haven't been yet, but have got my first skirmish booked for a week Sunday, with a group of friends from work, im sure im going to love it. i will accept i'm jumping the gun (no pun intended ), but i would like some advice on guns.

im interested in the M4 variant, and was wondering what the difference between the M4A1 and the HK416 - or even the HK417 are - from the airsoft point of view. are the essentially the same gun? do they have compatible mags? i know that the M4 is a very popular type of gun and that the potential of being able to borrow a Mag if you are empty is increased.

many thanks

Chris

 

[Airsoft_Mr B]

I was reading about this recently actually and I think the HK416 is considered to be an M4. I haven't owned one myself so I can't tell you how similar they are internally, although the 416 does look really good (much cooler than standard M4A1)

If you have the money, there is the TM Recoil Shock 416D. Tokyo Marui are widely accepted as the best airsoft gun manufacturer for both rifles and pistols. Their performance is second to none, and build quality is pretty good I think. However, this is reflected in the high price! Personally I am going to get a KWA RM4 ERG one day which is the competitor to Marui's Recoil Shock series, but around £200 or so cheaper.

Again, to be honest I can't comment on magazines either. I do know that the 417 uses proprietary mags, but not sure about the 416.

I'm sure you'll get some other replies soon enough that will be able to help you out a lot more.

Finally, I saw Elite Force are going to release a HK416 but I don't know when it will be available or anything.

Whichever gun you choose to get, I would say make sure it has plenty of good reviews and is popular. I made bad decisions with my first two guns and then found out neither are actually that good and I would have much rather bought something else.

Anyway, welcome to the forums and enjoy the skirmish!

By the way, the G&G Combat Machine M4s are THE BEST guns for a beginner. Literally everyone recommends them.

Although it has a polymer receiver the external quality is excellent, as are the internals. It's affordable too (from £117)

 

[Happy]

Yeah I was going to say to brace yourself: a ton of people will soon be recommending the G&G Combat Machines as a starter if you're after an AR platform, but Mr B beat me to it.

He's right about the Marui recoil series though - if you can afford one then get it and you won't be disappointed. That said I'd wait till you find out if you actually enjoy your first skirmish before forking out £400+ on a high end rifle.

 

[Baz JJ]

Because the RS HK417 is a 7.62mm rifle, the mags tend to be not compatible with M4 mags in airsoft.

 

[Esoterick]

Yeah the HK417 will not take M4 mags.

The G&G HK416 and the VFC version both take a variety of M4 mags(as in manufacturers) with differing results(namely they can be a bit on the wobbly side) The TM HK416 is a lovely gun, but it will only take mags designed for the the TM M4 variants, plus the TM HK416 mags which for all intents and purposes look like STANAG mags but with a different curve on them - The line of mags they take are normally referred to as SOPMOD magazines, which also includes SOPMOD PMAGs.

There are also a couple of gas blowback HK416 options but I would just ignore them completely as a beginner.

 

[jcheeseright]

from an airsoft point of view the M4 and HK416 are pretty much the same thing; version 2 gearbox. Though different manufacturers will have different features/quality/etc. For example, the Tokyo Marui HK416 has an ambidextrous fire selector, and the M4A1 doesn't, but the gearboxes are largely identical.

 

[dex]

Wait for your ukara registration before getting a gun. The temptation I'd great but if you can hold off and use rentals you'll thank yourself later.

 

[chrisbirley]

many thanks for all of your comments.

dex, i was going to wait for the UKARA registration prior to getting a gun, but as i think all of you know, this is where the temptation comes in, but i really don't want a brightly coloured two-tone gun.

i was just after opinions for when im able to get a RIF. i do like the M4, but i dont really want to be a sheep, on the flip side i dont want to completely go out on a limb and then not be able to customise the gun, find it difficult for repairs/ spares.

ive seen the G&G TR4-18 and that looks nice - it is their version of the HK416, but without the proper markings due to licensing, but does anyone know if they are still making it as i havent seen it in their 2014 catalogue.

also one last question for the moment, when it somes to purchasing a gun, what is the cheapest methos - buy from here in the UK, look for a site in the EU, price in Euros so slightly in our favour for exchange rate, or to look to the US, or further afield to order? i guess the only downside to ordering outside of the UK is the shipping charges, and then outside the EU is import duty, but can you make savings?

thanks

Chris

 

[Russe11]

For your 1st gun, its always best to buy in the UK. That way if you have any problems it's easier to get it sorted. It is cheaper to buy from abroad. Taiwangun.com is quite good and based in Poland so no tax or duty but occasional delays at customs are not unknown. Outside the EU you will tend to get hit by customs charges.

 

[dex]

G&G do indeed still make the TR4-18. There are quite a few sites stocking the Gen 3 version. Very good guns for the money. I currently run a Gen 3 cqbr.